News

Race leaders Hugo Boss seemed assured of a new record time for the opening miles of the non-stop Barcelona World Race, the 538 miles from Barcelona to Gibraltar. Alex Thomson (GBR) and Pepe Ribes (ESP) on Hugo Boss were set to pass the point of Tarifa (5deg37W) at around 1800hrs UTC (2 January) which would see them break the 2011 record of 3 days 7 hours by about one day. Having taken the lead yesterday morning, Hugo Boss has extended …

Banjo still on target to break record Having enjoyed nearly a week of good, consistent winds, crews in the Governor’s Cup fleet are currently suffering from lack of speed as their yachts wallow in light airs 400 or so miles off the African coast. The conditions look set to remain for the next few hours, which means the second half of the 1,700 nautical mile race to the remote Atlantic island of St Helena will become a game of tactics …

The following report was received from Black Cat who is competing in the Governor’s Cup Race from Simonstown to St Helena. Hi All Happy New Year from a festive but slow Black Cat. Beach Boys is playing in the cockpit and Cathy and Shaun are singing along. However we are only sailing at a slow 6 knots. Well you cant have it all. Sun Sea Fun And well little wind. The last few days have been great. Following winds and …

The chase for line honours at the 2014 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is intensifying with the leading boats approaching the halfway mark of the 628-nm race. 27 hours into the race, the Mark Richards-skippered Wild Oats XI lay 13 nautical miles ahead of Comanche – the American Maxi which had led the race for 22 hours following a blistering exit out of Sydney Harbour. Wild Oats XI is chasing an unprecedented eighth line honours victory, Comanche hoping to triumph …

by Richard Crockett The start of the 70th Sydney Hobart classic saw Comanche storm into the lead, leaving her rivals breathless and in awe of the raw power she generated. Watching the video of the start one heard “Look at that thing go!,” screamed Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards. And fast she was, but now that the boats have settled into the rhythm of the race and have been at sea for 27 hours, all eyes are no longer …

This is the moment you have all been waiting for as it when we announce our Sailor of the Year. Blaine Dodds needs little introduction as he is an incredibly accomplished sailor who holds 31 South African National sailing titles, and countless others on the international scene. In recent months he has been in the spotlight at the Hobie 16 Worlds in Australia, and closer to home he has just won a hard-fought battle to take the South African Hobie …

The Barcelona World Race is the first and only double-handed (two crew per boat), non-stop, round the world regatta. It is a lap of the globe starting and finishing in Barcelona (Spain). This is an extreme sporting challenge and ocean adventure that puts human limits to the test. The Barcelona World Race 2014/15 is the third edition of the regatta. The first edition was held in 2007/08 and the second in 2010/11. The race is part of the IMOCA Ocean …

Part 2 of three part, 80 minute, interview with Team Vestas Wind skipper, Chris Nicholson on the wrecking of the Volvo Ocean Race yacht on an idyllic atoll in the South Indian Ocean during the night of November 29. In this part, Nicholson covers what happened from the time the Volvo65 hit the reef on the SE corner of the Cargados Carajos Shoals. Parts 3 follows tomorrow. If you missed Part 1 click here: Nicholson says that when they hit …

Part 1 of three part, 80 minute, interview with Team Vestas Wind skipper, Chris Nicholson on the wrecking of the Volvo Ocean Race yacht on an idyllic atoll in the South Indian Ocean during the night of November 29. In this part, Nicholson discusses the factors leading up to hitting the reef, interspersed with other research information, charts, video and images. Parts 2 and 3 will follow on consecutive days. ‘I made a mistake’ was Wouter Verbraak’s very honest admission …

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to Mentor Young South African with Ambition to Become First Black Clipper Race Skipper 22 year old South African Nqoba Mswazi, who participated in the tough Pacific Ocean leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race earlier this year with the Sapinda Rainbow project, has revealed a challenging ambition to return to the race as its first black skipper. In January Nqoba, from Durban, will embark on his Yachtmaster qualification and will have none other than …

This year’s entries sees family cruising boats with wedding anniversaries and birthdays being celebrated out at sea, a folding trimaran competing with the fast downwind racing yachts vying for line honours, entries hailing from Australia and New Zealand and Saints returning home! With the entry deadline now closed, this year’s Governor’s Cup Yacht Race from Simon’s Town in South Africa to Jamestown on St Helena, sees 18 boats entered with over 90 crew and supporters taking part in this truly …

Our on-the-scene reporter, Ingrid Willcox, reports that a storm over the Vaal Dam has prevented further sailing for the day. Overall results so far are:  2014 Youth Nationals at Aeolians 141215_1451.htm

Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image 2014 Spanish photographer Alfred Farré wins The fifth edition of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image welcomed 120 professional photographers from all over the world and generated an exceptional selection of images. Alfred Farré’s photograph won the main award, whilst the delegates from the World Yacht Racing Forum chose Charles Marion’s photograph for the «Public Award». The top 70 pictures can be viewed at www.yachtracingimage.com Based in Barcelona, Alfred Farré has been a professional nautical photographer since …

Leg 2 arrivals: three-way tie for Team Brunel (NED), Dongfeng Race Team (CHN) and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE) Bouwe Bekking (NED) and Team Brunel found a very timely change of gear to sweep past Dongfeng Race Team and edge to a 16-minute victory in an incident-packed Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Saturday. The Dutch campaigner, competing in a record-equalling seventh race, looked likely to have lost out in a thrilling sprint to the finish in the …

Ingrid Willcox reports that racing started promptly at 15h00 yesterday, Sunday 14 December. Two races were sailed in moderate breeze. Sailwave results for 2014 Youth Nationals at Aeolians 2014